Flexible carrier utilization

• US 20030109284A1
• Filed: 09/04/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Hiltunen, Kimmo, Akerberg, Dag
• Application Number:
  US10/233,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20030109284A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/10 Dynamic resource partitioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/32 Hierarchical cell structures

Abstract

In the present invention, carrier pairs of one uplink carrier (UL1, UL2) and one downlink carrier (DL1, DL2) are provided with a flexible duplex frequency separation distance in a cellular communication system (1) operating according to a FDD concept. At least a first carrier pair used in the system has a different duplex frequency separation distance than a second carrier pair. The duplex frequency separation distance may vary within one cell (12H, J) and/or between different cells (12H, J) in the same system (1), preferably dependent on the traffic situation and preferably on a per connection or per code basis. The increased flexibility in pairing different available uplink and downlink carriers makes it possible to match different kinds of asymmetries in the system (1) in order to increase the overall transmission capacity

Claims

1. Cellular communication system utilizing a number of uplink carriers and a number of downlink carriers, comprising:

base stations for communication with mobile units;

core network connecting said base stations;

said base stations utilizing carrier pairs of one of said uplink carriers and one of said downlink carriers for communication with said mobile units;

at least a first of said carrier pairs having a different duplex frequency separation than a second of said carrier pairs.

2. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, wherein a first base station utilizes said first carrier pair and a second base station utilizes said second carrier pair.

3. Cellular communication system according to claim 2, wherein said first base station is a base station for a macro cell and said second base station is a base station for a micro cell situation within said macro cell.

4. Cellular communication system according to claim 3, wherein said first base station utilizes at least one uplink carrier not utilized by said second base station.

5. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, wherein a base station utilizes said first carrier pair for communication with a first mobile unit and said second carrier pair for communication with a second mobile unit.

6. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said uplink carriers is an unpaired carrier.

7. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said downlink carriers is an unpaired carrier.

8. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, further comprising means for including information on a duplex frequency separation on a downlink broadcast channel.

9. Cellular communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a neighbor cell list comprising information on an associated duplex frequency separation.

10. Node of a cellular communication system having access to a number of uplink carriers and a number of downlink carriers, comprising:

transceiver means for communication with mobile units;

said transceiver means utilizing carrier pairs of one of said uplink carriers and one of said downlink carriers for communication with said mobile units;

at least a first of said carrier pairs having a different duplex frequency separation than a second of said carrier pairs.

11. Node according to claim 10, further comprising means for selecting said carrier pairs for improving carrier utilization in said cellular communication system.

12. Node according to claim 11, wherein said means for selecting said carrier pairs operates on a per connection and/or per code basis.

13. Node according to claim 10, further comprising means for performing handover between carrier pairs of differing duplex frequency separation.

14. Node according to claim 10, further comprising means for including information on a duplex frequency separation on a downlink broadcast channel.

15. Node according to claim 10, further comprising a neighbor cell list comprising information on an associated duplex frequency separation.

16. Mobile unit for use in a cellular communication system having access to a number of uplink carriers and a number of downlink carriers, comprising:

transceiver means for communication with a base station;

said transceiver means utilizing carrier pairs of one of said uplink carriers and one of said downlink carriers for communication with said mobile units;

said transceiver means being capable of using carrier pairs with different duplex frequency separation; and

means for performing handover between carrier pairs of differing duplex frequency separation.

17. Mobile unit according to claim 16, further comprising means for extracting information on a duplex frequency separation from a downlink broadcast channel signal.

18. Mobile unit according to claim 16, further comprising means for extracting information on an associated duplex frequency separation from a neighbor cell list.

19. Method of providing carriers in a cellular communication system, comprising the steps of:

associating one of a number of uplink carriers with one of a number of downlink carriers in carrier pairs;

at least a first of said carrier pairs having a different duplex frequency separation than a second of said carrier pairs.

20. Method according to claim 19, comprising the further steps of:

providing traffic information data;

whereby said associating step is adapted in response to said traffic information data.

21. Method according to claim 19, wherein said associating step is performed on a per connection or code basis.

22. Method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said downlink carriers is an unpaired carrier.

23. Method according to claim 19, wherein at least one of said uplink carriers is an unpaired carrier.

24. Method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

using said first and second carrier pairs in one and the same cell of said cellular communication system.

25. Method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

using said first and second carrier pairs in different cells of said cellular communication system.

26. Method according to claim 25, wherein said first carrier pair is used in a macro cell and said carrier pair is used in a micro cell within said macro cell.

27. Method according to claim 26, wherein said macro cell uses at least one uplink carrier not utilized by said micro cell.

28. Method according to claim 19, comprising the further step of providing information on a duplex frequency separation on a downlink broadcast channel.

29. Method according to claim 19, comprising the further step of providing information on an associated duplex frequency separation on a neighbor cell list.